The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season is set to introduce a host of new signings, with players from various backgrounds making their debut. The 18th edition of the cash-rich league will commence on March 22, with the 74 matches to be played across 13 venues, including 12 double-headers, before concluding on May 25. Here’s a look at some of the notable debutants, who are coming on the back of impressive records from domestic, youth cricket and international cricket.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals)
Rajasthan Royals invested in teenage prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi for Rs 1.1 crores during the mega auction last year, making the 13-year-old the youngest player in the tournament’s history.
The batter from Bihar created ripples in the cricketing circles when he scored 104 off just 62 balls for India Under-19 in the first of the two-match youth Test series against Australia U-19 in Chennai. It was the fastest hundred ever recorded by an Indian in youth Tests and the second-fastest overall.
Suryavanshi also made headlines when he debuted in the Ranji Trophy for Bihar at just 12, becoming the youngest player in India’s premier first-class tournament. He is also the youngest player to represent India at the Under-19 level.
The teenage sensation scored a quickfire 67 off just 36 balls to help India storm into the ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 summit clash and also walked away with the Player of the Match award for his special knock. This was the 13-year-old’s second successive half-century in the tournament after scoring an unbeaten 76 off just 46 balls to help India beat UAE.
Suryavanshi then shattered another record when he became the youngest Indian cricket player to play List-A cricket during Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, surpassing the previous record held by Ali Akbar, who made his List A debut for Vidarbha in the 1999-2000 season when he was 14 years and 51 days old.
Priyansh Arya (Punkab Kings)
Delhi attacking opener Priyansh Arya was roped in by Punjab Kings for Rs 3.8 crore in the mega auction after he became the leading run-scorer in the inaugural Delhi Premier League (DPL) tournament by amassing 608 runs in ten innings for South Delhi Superstarz.
Arya grabbed the eyeballs in the Delhi Premier League earlier this year where he smacked six sixes in an over for South Delhi Superstarz against North Delhi Strikers.
During the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Arya stood out as Delhi’s leading run-scorer, accumulating 222 runs across seven innings at an average of 31.71 and an impressive strike rate of 166.91. Despite being shortlisted for the IPL 2024 auction, Arya remained unsold.
Bevon Jacobs (Mumbai Indians)
The uncapped New Zealand batter entered the Mumbai Indians camp on the back of a classic 157-run knock for Auckland against Central Districts in the Plunket Shield 2024-25.
He hit a magnificent 20-ball 42 on his debut for Canterbury in the Super Smash 2023-24 curtain raiser. Almost a year later, he registered fifties in both innings of his maiden first-class match for Auckland.
The 22-year-old right-hander also has a T20 century to his name. He scored 100 off 40 balls for South Brisbane against Toombull on the final day of the Queensland T20 Max 2023-24 competition.
Adding to that, the upcoming star finished among the top-five run-getters in the Super Smash 2024-25 and has been a consistent source of runs in the Ford Trophy 2024-25.
The young batter has 423 T20 runs to his name in 20 matches with the highest score of 90 not out.
Josh Inglis (Punjab Kings)
The Australian wicketkeeper-batter enters his maiden IPL campaign as one of the in-form batters in the tournament. He will be donning the Punjab Kings jersey after being sold for Rs 2.6 crore i the mega auction.
After smashing his first ODI century in the Champions Trophy to steer Australia to a thrilling chase of 352 against England, Inglis also made waves with a Test century on debut in Galle.Those two standout performances propelled him into an elite group of Australians with international centuries across all three formats. One of his two T20I centuries came against India in 2023, where he powered through a lineup of IPL bowlers , including his new teammate Arshdeep Singh.
Inglis played 29 T20Is so far, scoring 706 runs with the best score of 110.
Jacob Bethell (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
One of the surprise picks for RCB in the mega auction was English all-rounder Jacob Bethell. The left-handed batter, who also bowls left-arm orthodox spin, bagged a Rs. 2.6 crore deal and can fill in the shoes of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and Will Jacks, who were not retained by the franchise after IPL 2024.
Bethell has a blistering strike rate of 167.96 in T20Is and can bat in the top and middle order. He has also been slotted as a finisher in his limited appearances in ODI cricket.
Bethell made his T20I and ODI debuts against Australia in September and was handed his Test debut against New Zealand in Christchurch, shortly after earning his first contract in the IPL.
The year 2024 has turned out to be a breakthrough year for Bethell, who bats left-handed and bowls left-arm spin, as good showings in the T20 Blast for Warwickshire and the Hundred for Birmingham Phoenix led him to be capped by England across all formats.
He also quickly piqued the interest of T20 franchises around the world, signing deals with Melbourne Renegades, Paarl Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The English all-rounder scored his maiden Big Bash League half-century in the match between Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes in January.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Topics mentioned in this article
